Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Dec. 5, 1974, edition 1 / Page 1
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" <Die <92 eu?<) - journal " The Hoke County News - Established 1928 jhe Hoke County Journal - Established 1905 Around Town By Sam C. Morris Winter has finally arrived and according to reports will be with us for a few more days. The first snow of the winter came down Sunday night and during the early hours Monday morning. G.G. Faircloth security guard at Lumber Bridge, was by the office Monday morning and said that it was snowing around 2 a.m. Monday morning. Others that came by reported other hours that they had seen snow falling. I asked our weather expert, Robert Gatlin, and his comment was a trace of snow, so this should make it official. From all reports the Northern states were hit by a large snow storm. It seems that Detroit has the largest snowfall of this century. With the fuel crisis we should all try to conserve as much fuel as possible. During the next three weeks shoppers should be very careful of packages they leave in their cars. If you must leave them on the seats of your car be sure to lock all doors. The best thing to do is put them in the trunk of the car where they will be out of sight from anyone who would take them. The condition of the economy today will cause some people to take items from a car that wouldn't do so under normal times. So be careful with your Christmas packages. The swearing in of county officials at seven o'clock Monday morning was something new for Hoke County. I understand that only a few of the people were late for the ceremony. Judge Maurice Btaswel) was the official in charge so he had to arise early to make Hoke County by seven o'clock. Anyway Hoke can get to work for another two years and getting up early will not hurt anyone. The decorations for Christmas for the City of Raeford will be put up in the next few days and the lights on the decorations will be turned on for a few hours each night. Last year at the request of the President of the United States the lights were not turned on during the Christmas season. This caused complaints by some of the citizens but others agreed with the decision. This year I hope everyone will get into the true spirit of Christmas and forget about the number of lights and decorations that are placed out for Christmas. Things for many people will be hard without the people who have plenty to complain about lights, decorations, etc. during the holiday season. Three Hoke men will be playing on the Elon College football team this Saturday at Burlington for a final berth in its division title of the United States. Read a related article elsewhere in the paper. City Council Meets Briefly In a short meeting Monday night, the city council opened bids on a tractor-compactor for the landfill, set Christmas holidays and bonuses for city employees and decided to put up Christmas decorations along the street Hght poles. A discussion, with no action being taken, on the city airport, constituted a major part of the meeting. City manager John Gaddy distributed minutes of the last airport meeting and announced that an FAA representative would be at the airport the next day. Councilman Benny McLeod, questioning a portion of the city minutes of the last council meeting in which the announcement of a Unicom radio was listed, moved to amend the minutes because the radio was purchased after the council meeting. Mayor pro tern Graham Clark, in the absence of Mayor John K. McNeill, opened sealed bids on a tractor-alternate compactor for the landfill. The bids will be turned over to the county commissioners as the county is paying 75 per cent of the costs. Bids were Gregory Poole of Raleigh. $48,457.95; Trl-City Equipment Company of Greensboro, $49,650; N.C. Equipment Company of Raleigh. $38,123.91 and E.F. Craven Company of Greensboro, $33,039.58. The council approved Christmas ^holidays from the afternoon of Dec. 24 fto Dec. 25 and 26. A three percent bonus for city employees was also approved. the council instructed the city manager to begin installing Christmas decorations. The lights across the street will be omitted and just the pole decorations will be put up. In other business, the council amended the budget to reflect auditing changes in the revenue sharing fund and agreed to ask for sealed bids from the banks for deposits of large sums such as bond revenue. m SOLEMN OA TH - Taking office are county commissioners (from left J John Balfour, Ralph Barnhart, chairman, and James A. Hunt. Superior Court Judge Maurice Brasweii administers the oath. New Road Linking NC 211 And US 401 Proposed By State To Commissioners A proposal to by-pass Raeford with a new street connecting N.C. 211 with U.S. 401 was presented to the new board of county commissioners Monday by Department of Transportation officials. The commissioners passed a resolution approving the construction of a connecting link that would tie 211 West to 401 near the Thomasfield subdivision. The project is estimated to cost about $60,000, or most of the money allotted for secondary roads in the county,Cecil Budd, chairman of the secondary roads council explained. The commissioners also approved a resolution to pave driveways to fire departments in the county, and Budd said the project could begin right away. The board will provide an order of priority with the oldest departments being paved first. Early Ceremony The board met at 6:45 Monday morning to be sworn in by Superior Court Judge Maurice Braswell. Ralph Barnhart was elected chairman, succeeding T.C. Jones, who retired. Tom McBryde will be vice-chairman. New member James Albert Hunt, the first Indian to serve on the county governing board, took his place Monday and was appointed fire commissioner for the county. In the early morning meeting, the board voted to assess Burlington Industries a total of $84,420.46 in taxes and penalties for underlisting for the past five years. According to county manager T.B. Lester, the assessment grew out of a state determination that mill inventories throughout the state were undervalued. At least one of the mills is contesting the decision. Lester said, but Burlington preferred to pay the back taxes. The board agreed on a 10 per cent penalty. Lester said. Following the early swearing-in ceremony in the courtroom, set at 7 a.m. because of a conflict on the judge's schedule, the board adjourned u-itil 9 a m John Holmes of the N.C. Department of Natural and Economic Resources presented a recreation survey to the members and offered to return to discuss it later. The board agreed to spend funds allotted to the county for public employment to add another eligibility specialist to the Department of Social Services and to hire a heating, air conditioning and plumbing inspector. The board also discussed storing of repossessed automobiles and gave tax collector the okay to foreclose on cars for back taxes. They delayed until budget hearings consideration of a request for approximately S800 from the National Guard. In other business, the board reappointed all county employees, approved 1975 holidays, authorized expenses for the sheriff's trip to New Jersey and attendance to conferences by Lester and Tommy Wilkerson. Raeford Man Found Dead A Raet'ord pool hall manager was found dead Friday morning from apparently natural causes. Lee Grant Bethea, 54. of 413 Wooley St., was found dead in the restroom of Saunder's Pool Hall about 9 a.m. Friday. Police Chief Leonard Wiggins said there were no visible signs of foul play. Bethea's body was taken to Chapel Hilt for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Bethea had complained of feeling ill earlier in the morning, according to Wiggins. Hoke Sheriff Travels To New Jersey To Investigate Jones Disappearance Authorities are continuing the search tor the body of Brenda L. Jones but have no new leads in the case, according to Sheriff David M. Barrington. Mrs. Jones has been missing front her Raeford home since Nov, 4 and Mrs. Jones's husband, Rudolph V. Jones, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Nov. 16 in Camden, N.J. Barrington and SBI agents were in New Jersey last week continuing the investigation. "We have enough evidence at this time that if Rudolph Jones were alive, (and the body was found), he would be charged with murder," the sheriff said. Barrington said Jones" car, a W4 Toyota, was examined by state police technicians in Trenton and a brown pocketbook with the name "Brenda" on it was found inside. A pocket knife and butcher knife were also found in lire vehicle,he said. The pocketbook is the same one Jones described and said he saw Mrs. Jones lake with her when she left her home Nov. 4. in a statement made by Jones to die sheriff. Barrington said the interior of the car was tested for evidence of bloodstains but he will not have the results until later this week. The sheriff said he had questioned Jones's family and numerous persons in the Camden area regarding Jones' actions following his wife's disappearance. Jones told a sister he intended to kill himself a few hours before his suicide, Barrington said, and had also made the same threat in the presence of another sister. Barrington also disclosed marriage bureau records in Camden revealed Jones was married to Bernice Jones, of Camden, N.J. The couple has been separated for several years, Barrington said. Young Father Holds Off Lawmen With Threats To Kill His Children A young Raeford lather held his three children inside his home for nearly two hours Thursday evening with threats to kill them. Nelson Tyler, 23, of Rt. I, Raeford, refused to open the door to deputies Alex Norton and James Lamont, who had come to the home about 8 p.m.. with an assault warrant tor Tyler sworn out bv his wife earlier in the day. Tyler told deputies he was armed with a rifle and would kill his children if they attempted to enter the house. A six-year-old, four-year-old, and a six-month-old baby were in the house. Deputies and highway patrol officers were summoned to surround the house and Sheriff David M. Barrington tried to persuade Tyler to throw out his gun and release the children. Sheriff Barrington said he was able to enter the home through the back door while Tyler was in the front of the home. Tyler surrendered and a 17-shot .22 caliber automatic rifle was seized, Barrington said. Tyler was jailed on various charges and released on $1,300 bond later. A District Court preliminary hearing is scheduled Dec. 13. Merchants Are Alerted At Theft Prevention Clinic About 70 Raeford businessmen and guests attended a crime prevention program Monday night at the civic center presented by the Raeford Police Department. The program dealt with shoplifting and worthless checks, crimes which are expected to increase during the Christmas shopping period. Police Chief Leonard Wiggins presided and introduced the speakers. A question and answer session followed. Speaking at the meeting were District Court Judge Joseph E. Dupree. attorney Warren Pate, and officials of The Bink of Raeford and Southern National Bank. Two films were shown presenting shoplifting methods and situations which encourage employee theft. A third film on checks was unavailable because of heavy demand. Wiggins said. 'Plain Horsesense' Needed At Airport Right On Red Illegal Jan. 1 Alter New Year's Eve, don't make a right turn on a red light. If you do, you'll be breaking the law, according to the Department of Transportation. The right turn on red law expires Dec. 31, according to a news release by DOT officials. Transportation Secretary Troy Doby said his department will seek early action to continue the law. In the meantime, signs prohibiting the right turn on red which have been erected at a cost of $36,000 will remain in place. DOT safety officials said a check of records show a small number of accidents related to the law. The state highway patrol announced an official policy when the 'right turn on red law' expires Dec. 31 through Colonel E.W. Jones, Commander. Jones said as of Jan. 1 arrests will be made for flagrant violations that endanger life and property. Warnings for less serious violations will be issued pending action by the 1975 General Assembly. Getaway Car Hits Woman A Raeford woman was injured last Wednesday when her car was struck by the fleeing car of a Red Springs man wanted for bank robbery. Mrs. Gertrude McKeithan, 313 W. Donaldson Ave., Raeford, was driving south on N.C. 87 about one half mile from Elieabethtown. According to highway patrol officers, a car operated by Jasper McLean struck the McKeithan auto which then went out of control and hit a utility pole. McLean, traveling at a high rate of speed, was being pursued by police following the robbery of a Fayetteville bank. Mrs. McKeithan was taken to Scotland Memorial Hospital in Laurinburg where she is listed in satisfactory condition. Damage to the woman's auto was reported to be extensive. McLean was subsequently arrested near White Lake and jailed on various charges. "Plain old common horsesense" and cooperation are needed lo alleviate conflicts at Raeford airport, an FAA safety official said Tuesday. A.J. Abernathy, accident prevention specialist for the Federal Aviation Administration, met with the airport committee and city manager Tuesday at the airport snack bar operated by Gene Thacker. Abernathy told the group he had received six reports of unsafe practices at the airport, all within a matter of weeks. Some of the reports were unsigned and all complained of hazards created for aircraft by parachute operations, he said. Two businesses are presently located at the airport, each holding city leases. They are a flying school run by Paul Rose and a jump school operated by Thacker, who is also the designated airport manager. 'The airspace doesn't belong to parachutists, neither does it belong to aviation enthusiasts. It belongs to all," Abernathy said. "And unless we can use it in a spirit of cooperation, it leads to unsafe acts. "If something isn't done to create a better spirit of cooperativeness, I fear we'll have a very serious accident," he told the group. Abernathy said that much of the conflict could be solved by using good judgment. "Good old common horsesense is what it's eoine to boil down to to make this a safe operation," he said. Noting that the airport manager had great authority in the operation of the airport, Abernathy suggested that the committee formulate some rules of operation. Committee member William Moses proposed that the group write regulations that "don't benefit pilot training over parachute training or parachute training over pilot training and will benefit those persons flying through who use the airport." Chairman Joe Racklcy postponed the December meeting until Jan. 8 and asked committee members lo think in the meantime about drafting rules. Abernathy, answering specific questions from the committee, told the group that it was immaterial to the FAA from a safety standpoint who operated the Unicom radio. It was, he said, only important that it be operated and that only one transmitter was permitted on each airfield. Operation ol' the radio has been a recent source of conflict. Recently city manager John Caddy had ordered purchased a Unicom for the city and had ordered that it be operated from the city-owned building by the airport manager. Rose obtained a Federal Communications Commission license on Oct. 11 to operate the radio. However, Joe Lancaster, who said he was at the meeting on the behalf of Rose but could not speak for him, agreed that the pilots connected with the flying school probably would not object to the location of the radio if it were operated properly and continuously. Other matters taken up at the meeting included the installation of the VAS1, a visual landing aid, and the establishment of a flight service line by the FAA. Abernathy adyised the committee that the installer would have to get the landing aid working and then the FAA would test it. lie also said that volumn of traffic determined if the federal agency would install the telephone flight information line and advised them to keen a traffic Temporary Leader Sent To Raeford Post Office A temporary officer-in-charge from Fayctteville has been named to head the Raeford post office until a permanent postmaster is selected. He is James G. Dunnagan, quality control officer for a Fayetteville post office. Raelord postmaster for the last ten years, Charlie Morrison retired last Friday. Dunnagan has 2b years of postal service and is currently serving as superintendent ai the Lakedale classified station. Shop And Eat Tonight Money Goes To Library Tonight you can shop for Christmas, eat supper and contribute to the Bicentennial Library fund, all in the same place. The Kiwanis Club is holding its annual pancake suppei at the Gibson cafeteria at Hoke High Thursday and the Garden Department of the Raeford Woman's Club will sponsor a bazaar in the school library. Proceeds will be donated to the library fund. m/ Last year Kiwanians donated $1,000 trom the supper to the building fund. The RWC bazaar will feature homemade and handmade items In all prices, chairman Mrs. Betty Morgan said. Included will be such things as canned goods, needlework, Christmas crafts, and baked goods. A card table and chairs will be offered as door prize. The supper and bazaar will be held from 5-8 p.m.
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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Dec. 5, 1974, edition 1
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